Kids These Days!

So, it’s Monday, May 24, 2010 and I just turned on the air conditioner. It’s been rainy and damp the past few days, and the weatherman says it’s going to be downright hot in the next few days. Tomorrow it’s supposed to be close to 90; by Thursday it’s going to get over 90. The weekend should be cooler but rainy and damp again.

Turning on the AC always reminds me of when I was a kid. I didn’t have control of the thermostat then, but even if I did, I knew the rules. The AC does not turn on until either the third consecutive day when the temperature topped 90 degrees or the Fourth of July, whichever came first… although I do have sweaty memories of July 4th too. And I knew not to break those rules.

It was always great when it kicked on too. It would be the second or third ungodly hot Saturday of the season. I would be covered in sweat, still half asleep, still half-covered by a thin bedsheet, when I would hear the powerful roar of the air conditioner awaken from its hibernation. Then I would feel the cool air blowing through the vents. Then my Dad would call up, “Make sure all the windows are closed. I just turned the AC on.” In my mind, I’d have all the windows in the whole house slammed shut in thirty seconds flat.

Oh, good times. But the real part of the story is that we roughed through quite a bit. The air conditioner was a luxury - even growing up in the Georgia heat! - whereas now, we’re not even through with May and the AC’s already up and running. There is a threat of warmer weather in the near future. We had better be prepared! Don’t worry, the Weather Channel updates the forecast every 10 minutes, we can track the heat outside from the comfort of our climate-controlled home.

It all makes me want to say “these kids don’t know how good they have it!” except there aren’t any kids to blame. My intern Jeff has been pretty vocal about it though; that guy, all he ever does is complain. I'm still waiting on that new layout too.

Regardless, I still plan to brave the weather five days a week to enjoy my Peanut Butter and Jelly sandwich in the shade by the lake, with just the shy and gentle breeze to keep me cool.